pridemore



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' J. L. PRIDEMORE.

GOTTON PRESS. No. 478,070. Patented June 28, 1892.

% W/T/VESSES: 20% (f, mm

+ Q W M ATTORNEY.

w: NORRIS ravens co, mum-mum, wasmnmou, n. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. L. PBIDEMORE.

COTTON PRESS.

No: 478,070. Patented June 28, 1892.

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) V 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. L. PRIDEMORE.

- GOTTON- PRESS. 7

No. 478,070. I Patented June 28, 1892.

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' ATTORNEY.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. PRIDEMORE, OF IiINN, INDIAN TERRITORY.

COTTONf-PRESS.

SPECiFICATIONforniing part of Letters iPatent No. 478,070, dated June 28, 1892. Application filed January 9, 1892. :Serial No. 417,485. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. PRIDEMORE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Linn, in the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of presses, and particularly to cotton-presses, and its novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings; and the object of the invention is to provide a cotton-press of great strength of pressure and durability which will press cotton into bales and discharge it by opening the doors of the compressing-chamber.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view partly broken, showing the follower descending upon the cotton. Fig. 2 is a View of the opposite side of the press from that shown in Fig. 1 with the doors open, the cotton discharged from the press, and the follower raised to its full extent. Fig. 3 is a detached end view of the yoke, showing the set of pinions located therein upon the shaft 2'. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line as 00, Fig. 1, showing the compressing-chamber closed and the pitmen removed. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 1 y, Fig. 2, showingthe compressing-chamber open; Fig. 6 is a detached View of the locking-rod. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the double rack-bar. Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the doors, showing the opening D.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts throughout the several figures.

A represents the base of the press, which forms the floor of the compressing-chamber. One side of the compressing chamber is formed by the doors B, hinged at a to the uprights I) of the press-frame. The other side of the com pressing-chamber is also formed by similarly-hinged doors A, and the ends B of i the compressing-chamber are hinged or pivoted to the frames of the doors A. The frames 0 of the ends B extend beyond either edge of the said doors A, so that such extension projects through an opening D (when the chamber is closed) in the doors B, so as to interlo'ck the doors B and A and brace the ends B against said doors.

I D is a stiff metal-plate spring, one end being secured to the doors A and the other end bearing upon the ends B for the purpose of keeping the ends hard against the cotton-bale as the doors A are opened, so as to assist in discharging'the bale from the compressingchamber.

The locking device for the doors upon both sides of the press consists of the U-shaped vrod E, which extends through the bed of the compressing-chamber, its ends projecting beyond the doors on either side of the press and formed S-shaped, so as to receive a lockingbarE, hinged at d to the press-frame. By turning this rod E the S-shaped portion disjengages'the end of the bars E, leaving them free to be thrown up and engaged by the catch-springs e on the side of the press.

To the follower F is pivoted a pair of connecting-links G, pivoted at f to the pitman H and the double rack-bars I by the pivot g on one end of the press and at the opposite end to the single rack-bar Hby the pivot-pin h. The pitmen H are pivoted in the lower frame of the press below the compressing-chamber.

In the center of the top side frame K of the press is journaled a shaft i, extending out on either side of the said frame, one end of such extension being provided with a cord 70 and weight. L. The extension upon the opposite side has a large gear-wheel M, while the portion of the shaft 2' between the side frames K is provided'with three pinions Z, m, and N. The central pinion Nengages the single rackbar 11, which extends over the top of the pinion N, while the pinions Z and m mesh with the teeth of the double rack-bars I, which are underneath'the set of pinions. It will be seen that while the double rack-bars'are moving in one direction the single rack-bar is moved in the opposite direction, but both forcing the connecting-links and pitmen inopposite directions, thereby producing. great force of pressure in the downward motion of the follower. By providing the shaft '6 with three separate pinions any one of them, when worn or unfit for use, can be removed and replaced byh a perfect one without dispensing with the ot ers.-

The rack-bars I and H are kept closely engaged with the set of pinions by means of a yoke M, located upon the shaft 01, the top cross-bar n of the yoke being provided with guide-arms L for the purpose of keeping the single rack-bar confined to the middle of its own pinion N. The yoke has brace-rods O' secured thereto, which extend out to near the ends of the press, where they are secured, so as to keep the yoke in an upright posit-ion.

P denotes a ratchet secured to the shaft 11, having a pawl P, provided with a counterbalanced arm p, so that when the pawl is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet it will stay out until thrown in again by the operator. This ratchet serves to stop the movement of the shaft 1; as it is turned by the weight L to raise the follower.

Q refers to a supplemental shaft journaled in the bearings Q on the top frame of the press, and one end is provided with a suitable I handle q or a pulley when the machine is operated by any other means than by hand, while upon the other end is secured a small gear-wheel R, which meshes with the geara sliding clutch R, having a handle 0 and by I means of which the clutch is moved into or out of engagement with the lugs S on the: gear-wheel B, so as to first operate the wheel I M and hence the mechanism for forcing the follower down to press the cotton, and then after the cotton is pressed the clutch is disengaged with the gear R, and the said wheels and mechanism are operated by the weight L, i which moves the follower up again in position, leaving the compressing-chamber in condition to receive another supply of cotton. v It will be observed that by this construc-; tion no power or manual labor is necessary k to return the mechanism and the follower to its starting-point, as such power is created;

while the follower is on its descent by the' cord secured to the shaft 1; being wound; thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton-press, the combination of the compressing-chamber having its sides formed by hinged doors and its ends pivoted to the doors on one side of the press with the looking device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a cotton-press, of a compressing-chamber comprising the hinged doors B, having the opening D, the hinged doors A, and the ends 13, pivoted in the said doors A, so that the free edge of the ends engage the said opening when the doors upon both sides of the press are closed, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a cotton-press, of the hinged doors A and B, the portions pivoted in the doors B, and the plate-springs secured at one end to the said doors B and their other end left free'to engage the pivoted portions, so that when all the doors are closed they with the pivoted portions will form a compressing-chamber, substantially as shown and described. wheel M. The shaft Q is also provided with I 5 4. In a cotton-press, the combination, with the compressing-chamber, the follower, and the connections from the base of the compressing-chamber and follower to the rackbars, of the shaft 1', the large gear-wheel located upon the shaft, the three pinions secured upon the shaft, the double rack-barengaging two of the pinions below the shaft, the single rack-bar engaging the other pinion above the said shaft, the supplemental shaft,

the small gear-wheel secured upon the supplemental shaft and engaging the said large gear-wheel, and means, substantially as shown and described, for operating both shafts, for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. PRIDEMORE. Witnesses:

J AMEs'F. SHERRILL, O. W. POTOHELL. 

